Imagine if you did everything Rick Nielson of Cheap trick told you to do: practiced in the basement and learned all the songs. Jumped around in front of the mirror and rehearsed all the moves. Started a band. Got in the van and toured for years on end. Made great albums. Rocked kids around the world. And then one day you came home, you were thirty years old and half the people you knew were now accountants, the other half dead, and you asked yourself: How the hell did I get here?

That sums up the last fifteen years in the life of the original pop kid John Kastner. John had landed back in his hometown of Montreal after the last Doughboys' tour and his city was gone. "A lot of my friends had moved away, The Doughboys were in limbo, a close friend had died, and I was going through a lot of other changes in my life. All of a sudden I had no one around, and nothing to do. It got me thinking about my life, what I was doing, why I was doing it, who I was. It's funny, rock is supposed to be about doing what you want, but I didn't even know what I was doing anymore, forget about whether I wanted it or not."

Enter Mark Arnold former California guitar hero of the band Big Drill Car. John and Mark form All Systems GO! in early 1998 and immediately record their self titled debut record with the help of Frank Daly on bass, Daniel Rey producing and Dave Ogilvie mixing. They tour mostly in California, some in Canada, even open for Pearl Jam, get a slot on the Warped Tour then get derailed in July 1999.

Fast forward October 2000:

Enter Peter Arsenault former Haligonian guitar turned bass player, party central for five years in the Doughboys. Enter Dean Bentley former skin basher, nice guy for Monster Voodoo Machine. All have had similar revelations about life and music. After all the work in other bands the hopes and dreams of stardom long since faded they still decide tis better to rock than not at all.

The band is reborn and put on track with a Canadian / US tour June, July 2000. One year after the reported demise of ASG! during Warped 1999. True a year had passed since Frank Daly (Big Drill Car), who had decided touring wasn't for him anymore, had left the band during the Warped tour, but the idea, the songs never died.

Limbo allowed John to get married, Mark to do some touring as a soundman and time to find the right team to make up the permanent touring line up for ASG! Frank had really only participated in the recording and very little writing of the record and been part of the band less than one year. Many said his departure would be the demise of ASG! but funny enough it made them stronger. Critics in Europe and North America praised the record, the word spread……

Enter Shock records. Australia comes aboard with new artwork and extra tracks to breath new life into a record that could have come out on a major but has prospered on small enthusiastic labels around the world. Setting up the band to be able to release a new album in 2001 without all the pressure and expectations that a multi national inflicts on its artists to meet profit projections and satisfy shareholders.

A new video with the current lineup for the song I'll be your Radio is finished. The band is on tour with The Satanic Surfers in Europe and heads to Australia in November and December to tour with the Hard Ons.

Having fun again is the essence of why All Systems GO! exists. The music is rock-fueled pop, the band, punk weaned veterans playing as if it was their first love, only tighter and better than any previous outfit. They pay homage to their past and set a course for world domination with their infectious new songs.


THE ALL SYSTEMS GO! 2000 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES WERE:

Thu Nov 23rd - Gold Coast, Miami Tavern

Fri Nov 24th - Toowoomba, National Hotel

Sat Nov 25th - Brisbane, Waterloo Hotel

Wed Nov 29th - Newcastle, SJ's Hotel

Thu Nov 30th - Blaxland, Kelt's Bar

Fri Dec 1st - Manly, Fisho's

Sat Dec 2nd - Sydney, Newtown RSL

Sun Dec 3rd - Wyong, Grand Hotel

Wed Dec 6th - Melbourne, The Tote Hotel

Thu Dec 7th - Geelong, Barwon Club

Fri Dec 8th - Melbourne, Corner Hotel

Sat Dec 9th - Adelaide, Enigma Bar

Sun Dec 10th - Adelaide, Enigma Bar


Check out the official ALL SYSTEMS GO website

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